What Levitas Did Next
by Almaron
Summary: Levitas finds peace following the events of His Majesty's Dragon.


This was a story concept that I had stuck in my head for some time due to Writer's Block. I still think it's not quite as good as it could have been - originally I was aiming for something that'd be a cross between The Divine Comedy and my fic Larth's Weyr - but at least I'm happy with the general concept.

Levitas, Jeremy Rankin and the Temeraire Universe copyright Naomi Novik.

* * *

_"Look, Levitas, look who's here."_

_"My captain?"_

_"Yes, I am here. You have been very brave."_

_"You came."_

* * *

**WHAT LEVITAS DID NEXT**

* * *

The small dragon looked around his clearing in confusion. Night had fallen, and the stars were out. He had only meant to rest his head for a short moment, but he must have fallen asleep, for his captain and all the others had left and he was now alone.

Levitas slowly got to his feet, not wishing to worsen the injuries he'd received from the French dragons. Oddly, his chest no longer hurt and his body wasn't aching. Perhaps he was well again? He craned his head back to examine his wounds, and rumbled in surprise. There was no sign of the bandages, and the great gashes that had marred his hide were gone! He nosed at his side in confusion. There wasn't even a scar.

Levitas supposed that the nice man who came to clean him each night had removed the bandages while he slept - and his harness, which he now realised was also gone - but that didn't explain how he had healed so quickly? His captain had said he was just over-reacting to a simple injury, although Levitas had told him that he was greatly pained by it. His captain had probably been right. He usually was.

Levitas settled down again, curling his tail around his body. Although he would have liked to speak to someone now that he was well again, he knew that all the other dragons would be asleep, and his captain would not appreciate being woken. It was difficult, but he eventually managed to fall asleep.

* * *

When morning came, Levitas took flight and headed over to the feeding grounds. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but he headed there out of habit. He also knew his captain was unlikely to allow him food if he didn't eat now.

Reaching the pens, Levitas found that the grounds were empty; the grounds were free of hungry dragons, and the pens themselves lay open and unattended. With growing unease, Levitas remembered his initial confusion the previous night; how he had wondered where the people in his clearing had gone. Where were all the others? Why was he alone?

In panic, Levitas remembered his captain. If everyone else had gone, had he gone with them too? Levitas leapt into the air and began flying frantically towards the barracks building. As the familiar shape came into view, Levitas saw to his immense relief that he was not alone; two captains; recognisable by their uniforms, were standing outside. And there, the one leaning against the wall; it was his captain!

It was then that Levitas realised he would be in trouble; flying around the covert like an untrained hatchling, and worse, out of harness. It was too late to turn back now; his captain had clearly seen him, as he and the other man had their hands cupped around their mouths and were calling to him. With no other option open to him, Levitas landed before the men, holding his head low as they walked over to him.

"Here now, what's this?" a voice called out as he arrived. Lifting his head up, Levitas realised that the man who now stood before him was not his captain; he was many years older, and his face was cheery, while his captain rarely smiled.

"What's wrong, little dragon?" the strange captain said, addressing him a second time.

"Oh, I do beg your pardon," Levitas stuttered, "only I…I… was looking for my captain, and I thought you…you are not my captain." he finished weakly.

"No, I don't believe I am," the man said, smiling as he did. "Who did you think I was?"

"I am Levitas," the small dragon began, "and my Captain is Jeremy Rankin. Do you know him?"

The elder of the two men snorted and turned away, but the younger captain ignored this. "Yes, I know him well enough," he began. "He was my nephew." The man cleared his throat and held out his hand as if to shake Levitas' foreclaw - not a wise move, since it was bigger than his head.

"I am Arthur Rankin," he said, "and I was once Captain to Celeritas." The elder captain cleared his throat noisily, prompting him to add, "Well, Celeritas was not really mine to begin with."

"I don't understand?" Levitas said uneasily. "Do you know where my captain is?"

"Gone," the elder captain said bluntly. "He is of no concern to you anymore."

"What?" Levitas said, panic in his tone. "Where? Why…why would he leave me?"

The younger captain - Arthur - looked uneasy, but spoke nonetheless. "Levitas…it's not quite like that. Your captain is, in a sense, gone-"

Hearing this, Levitas let out a howl of sorrow, prompting Arthur to shout over him. "Calm down, calm down!" he called.

"But what can I do?" Levitas moaned. "My captain is dead, isn't he?"

"What?" Arthur said, confused. "Your captain isn't dead, Levitas!"

"He isn't?" Levitas said, falling silent. "Then…"

"Your captain's not dead." Arthur interrupted. "You are."

Realisation dawned upon him in an instant. "But…but…no, I'm…" Levitas spluttered, not willing to believe what he had heard, despite knowing without a doubt that it was true. His injuries hadn't healed; he had succumbed to them where he had collapsed in the clearing. The clearing and the grounds had been empty because he alone had died.

Levitas sank to the ground in despair. Being dead did not cause him any great pains - it didn't feel any different from being alive, as far as he could tell - instead he felt sorrow at the fact that he _had_ died. It was almost like he had failed his captain in the worst possible way and nothing could ever be done to change that.

In time, Levitas lifted his head to look around. The elder captain had left; presumably returning to his rooms in the barracks, but Arthur was still there, standing beside him and watching him hesitantly. He smiled as he saw Levitas look at him. A rogue thought dawned in his mind, something he never would have considered before now.

"Rankin," he began; the name sounding strange as he said it, "Would you be able to keep me company?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur said.

"If…if my captain is…gone…then would you be…my new captain?" Levitas said tentatively. "I don't want to be alone."

"Me?" Arthur began. "I…well, I…" he paused, noticing the pleading look in the dragon's eyes. "Of course I will," he said, patting Levitas' soft hide. "For as long as you need me."

**FIN**


End file.
